The killing of 26 people, including 20 children, at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut has understandably shocked the nation, and details are just beginning to emerge about the shooter, Adam Lanza, a 20-year-old man who also murdered his mother. Events like these inevitably reopen debates about gun control, or more tenuously lead people to complain about American culture itself. Yet on the very same day, a 36-year-old Chinese man attacked 22 children with a knife at a primary school in China, suggesting that there is a critical factor with mass homicides that gets far less attention.

For all the disbelief and dismay, we actually know pretty well that most such events are committed by individuals with a particular set of characteristics. As my colleagues Mark Coulson, Jane Barnett and I noted in a 2011 article in the Journal of Police Crisis Negotiations, school shooters have generally been found to 1) have a history of antisocial-personality traits, 2) suffer from mental illnesses such as depression or psychosis and 3) tend to obsess about how others, whether other individuals or society at large, have wronged them. (These conclusions are similar to the findings of a 2002 U.S. Secret Service report on school shootings.) These individuals seethe with rage and hatred and despondency, until they decide to lash out at individuals or a society they believe has done them great wrong. Mental health, as well as our failure to address it as a society, is at the core of these events.

Not all mass homicide perpetrators target schools, but schools do seem to be an unusually common target. People wonder why angry men (and an occasional woman) so often target innocent children who have done them no wrong. In the case of Sandy Hook, although early reports suggested that Lanza’s mother, Nancy Lanza, may have worked there, the school superintendent has since clarified that she was not a teacher or a substitute. In many other cases, there is no obvious connection. Watching the horror and great sadness that has descended over the nation in the past 24 hours, we have our answer. These perpetrators have lashed out against society in the most vicious way possible, inflicting the most pain that they could. That is the point of targeting a school.

Gun control may potentially remove one tool from the hands of potential perpetrators, but mass homicides occur in every part of the globe — Scotland, Norway, Germany, China. So while it may indeed be the right time to talk about gun control, as many are saying, it is also the right time to talk about mental health care in our country. Our country’s funding for mental-health services has only gotten worse since the 2008 recession. As the National Alliance on Mental Illness has been warning for some time, the existing level of funding is inadequate, so our nation’s ability to identify and care for the severely mentally ill has been hamstrung.

In my own clinical work, I’ve seen individuals I’ve identified as being potentially at risk for future criminal behavior because of their mental illness. Very often, there are simply few to no resources for them until they come to the attention of the criminal-justice system. Obviously, the vast majority of the chronically mentally ill won’t commit crimes, certainly not of the severity of the Sandy Hook shooting. But by leaving the mentally ill adrift to fend for themselves, we miss the opportunity to identify and treat some of these at-risk individuals before they escalate. Granted, neither gun control nor a well-funded mental-health system will prevent every mass homicide. But we leave ourselves — and more innocent children — vulnerable until we address both of those issues.

If home schooling my child (if I had one), were not possible, I would teach them the proper way in which to conceal a gun and to defend him or herself against some maniacal punk in his or her classroom bent on murdering as many fellow students as possible! Then the perpetrator though crazy or not would be righteously dead and my kid will remain alive as it righteously should be!

That is so so sad what both of those men did to all of those kids that was 48 people killed in one day but if y'all havent heard this song before go to YouTube and look up Baby Kaley Heaven and it is a song about sandy hook but one more thing to say why did he go for

Why don't politicians turn the US Capitol and White House into "Gun Free Zones"? Because the consequences are utterly predictable. They don't want to get politicians killed.

Since Bill Clinton turned our schools into "Gun Free Zones", they've experienced exactly what we should expect. Columbine, Santee, Sandy Hook and so many others... now you know why these violent criminals target schools for their massacres.

Thanks for the mental health perspective. No short article can focus on every aspect; the author has provided good context for his view. I agree that neither gun control legislation nor mental health program funding will totally solve the problem. The question then becomes "are there certain measures that would help provide the environment for healing national ills?" Programs & laws can be the same as bandaid medical treatment so common these days, where they have no idea what causes it and simply try to ease symptoms. Contrary to that trend, I believe that we can get to the core issues and work on them...but it will take far more than Congress and mental health professionals.

This article is misleading - the stabbing in China resulted in no deaths, it was not a 'mass homicide' - simply because the attacker didn't have a gun. As for mass shootings occurring in other countries, a relevant point is how frequently they occur. Yes they have occurred in the countries you listed, but they're nowhere near as common as they are in the US. Nor is being murdered by a gun (it's about 30 times less likely here in Australia per head of population than it is in the US). There are many many reasons for these types of incidents, but they are definitely more common in the US than in other places around the world - perhaps it wouldn't hurt for the US to question why that's the case.

as a childcare worker i've been experiencing a lot of sadness and tearsover what happened at sandy hook elementary school. i recorded thissong and put it to these photos as a way to allow my own grief.

Why does nobody in the area know the Lanza family? Turns out his mother never worked at the school. Nope, his mother was never known to the school at all. A Newtown resident is interviewed and says, 'nobody knew the Lanzas. Everyone here knows everyone else, so it's hard to explain.' Nobody saw the shooter, nobody saw the victims, there are no survivors, no injured children, and now it turns out nobody even knows the shooter, or his mother who was supposed to work at the school. Stranger still, the films of parents all show them laughing before going on camera, and then smiling cheerfully about the death of their children, one of whom - whose funeral was just described as a fun event, is later seen hugging Obama! If this isn't weird, I don't really know what is.

Adam Lanza had visited the school the day before in which he had an "altercation" with four adults at the school. The next day he returned and shot 3:4 adults he had argued with. The fourth person was absent. What was the "altercation" about? We have not heard. His mother was connected with the school as was Adam. She volunteered at the school, and Adam had been a student there.

Excuse my english: may be adam lanza mother had a lover(male or female) or a friend who was working in sandy hook and adam thought that person was making influence on her mother about his future.If sandy school workers did not let adam to enter the school ,may be adam switched a single target (that friend or lover) for all school.May that friend or lover was not inside the school that morning or at the entrance a sandy hook worker told him that person was not there that day so adam targeted the school itself to cause pain or because adam thought they were lying him so he targeted everyone.So my opinion is adam wanted to target a single person friend or lover of her mother.

He wasn't targeting the children. He was targeting the parents and school administrators. He hurt them and their families more than if he had shot a bunch of homeless people. This was a communication and not a mere crime; although it did comprise a crime as well. His removal from a social setting to an isolation via home schooling, after having had exposure to the richness of group school, was a punishment too great for him to bear. He may have expressed his sense of loss and want for love in a way far more effective than he could have done by crying in a ministers arms. He presents the rest of us with a choice: how important is economic gain to a people hungry for society? Ask these parents which they would rather have; more separation from the imperfect or a society with open arms for everyone?

We have the right to associate with whomever we want. WE have the right to bear arms. WE have the right to remain silent. WE have the right to squeeze the last dime of profit from the sale of medical services and the insurance that has morphed into a silent partner in profit. And we have the right to such a life; right? Ask Alan Lanza if we have that right? And then, try to understand his "no" answer.

In reply to gregkline...if manufacturers could design firearms that have the firing pin locked, and can only be unlocked by the owner's fingerprint or pin number, and if not fired for a certain time say 20 minutes or time set by the owner , it will automatically lock itself again.

The N R A leader has suggested a ridiculous solution to the tragic events concerning the Newtown, Conn events. I am unable to understand the necessity of being able to shoot the number of rounds that an assualt rifle can deliver, other than to be used against other human beings. How can a responsible adult justify the sale of these weapons to the public? The arguments for the carrying of guns that would enable an individual to step in and shoot these "lunatics" does not seem to be a valid argument since I am unaware of any news report to suggest that this has ever happened in this country. The guns do not kill, true, but automobiles do not kill without the misdirection of a errant driver BUT we have laws to proctect against their missuse. The production of motor vehicles is also controlled by standards designed to make them safer. We are not going to change the actions of certain individuals BUT we can limit the availability of these assualt type weapons to curb the effects of their misuse. Let's get real about this! Our constitution protects our right to bear arms but is that an open door to any type of weapon? I think not!

Mass killings occur in the US about every ten days. The reason that they occur in schools, movie theaters and malls is a very simple one —those are all places where citizens who are licensed to carry a concealed handgun, like myself, are not permitted to do so. These so-called 'gun free zones' are nothing more than an open invitation to every lunatic, with which this country is more than amply supplied.

There are laws already in place that, absent a Federal permit, prohibit possession of fully-automatic weapons. There are laws already in place, with the exception of one state, that require a permit to carry a concealed handgun. There are laws already in place, period. More laws would accomplish nothing. Lunatics and criminals don't comply with the laws already in place so what manner of specious thinking would lead anyone to believe that they would comply with new laws?

Just for the record, I am not a member of the NRA or any other firearms organization, nor do I work for a firearms manufacturer. I am, however, a citizen who has no criminal record and has not ever committed a crime. In fact, I haven't even had a traffic ticket in more than thirty years.

justmer while I do see your point, I was doing no more tha expressing my opinion. Clip mag what ever. Banning some actions will not at this time stop many other actions. In time perhaps it will make it more difficult (read not impossible) to get these things. Aslo consider with a 3 round pump you have 3 rounds before you need to reload. If the Principal or another teacher is armed, some lead will be coming your way. I am not even going to address the rest of your arming comments as I could come in with RPGs and hand grenades and a few LAWS and blow any conversaiton out the window.

And now begins the accusations that someone who doesn't share your beliefs is immoral and hates our country. How does you make such a giant leap from point A to point Z? I am a very moral person who loves my family, my children, my neighbors, my community and my country. My brother and father both served illustrious military careers. I have neighbors who are police officers and who have told me that they really hate that the "bad guys" are so well equipped. So please, feel free to not share my opinions but do not question my morality or love of country.

"Not all mass homicide perpetrators target schools, but schools do seem to be an unusually common target. People wonder why angry men (and an occasional woman) so often target innocent children who have done them no wrong. In the case of Sandy Hook, although early reports suggested that Lanza’s mother, Nancy Lanza, may have worked there, the school superintendent has since clarified that she was not a teacher or a substitute. In many other cases, there is no obvious connection."

Lanza was a student at Sandy Hook Elementary. I’ve read reports that his mother pulled him out of Sandy Hook Elementary at some point by claiming the school was not meeting his needs. She briefly home-schooled him before placing him in a Catholic school for a short time and then he went to a public high school. His mother may have instilled his hatred of this particular elementary school.

Wow, justmer...you have certainly convinced yourself that guns are not a problem. Let's say that something as simple as making large capacity clips unavailable at least be considered. That means many of the children in Sandy Hook would still be alive....not all, but many. One child had 11 gunshot wounds which would not have been possible without the large capacity clips. Are you so sure of your opinions that you can't make room in your mind for some kind of change...other than nothing? And if you can't, you probably don't have children. I venture to say that all you did was cut and paste your "evidence" below from some website where everyone shares your opinions.

He came along with a shotgun on his shoulder while a group of children
were playing in front of the school. Without warning or provocation, he
raised the gun to his shoulder, took deliberate aim, and fired into the
crowd of boys.

Although it sounds sadly modern, the account was published in the New York Times more than a century ago.

Dated April 10, 1891, the article described an elderly man firing a
shotgun at children playing in front of St. Mary's Parochial School in
Newburgh, NY.

"None of the children were killed, but several were well filled with lead," the report said.

More than a century earlier, on July 26, 1764, a teacher and 10 students
were shot dead by four Lenape American Indians in Greencastle,
Pennsylvania, in what is considered the earliest known U.S. mass school
shooting.

Indeed, killing or trying to kill a mass of people is not a modern
phenomenon. For as long as there has been history, there have been
gruesome mass murders.

"The terms amok, a Malayan word, and berserk, a Norse word, have been
used to describe individuals going on killing sprees. Both terms have
been around for centuries, which reflects the fact that mass murder is
neither a modern nor a uniquely American phenomenon," Grant
Duwe,director of research at the Minnesota Department of Corrections,
told Discovery News.

Defined as bloody events that occur within a 24-hour period and that
involve a minimum of four victims, mass murders have occurred all over
the world, in different times, societies and cultures.

Some of the earliest recorded cases include the 1893 killing with
guns and swords of 11 people (including an infant) in Osaka, Japan, the
1914 shooting of 7 people in the Italian village of Camerata Cornello,
not to mention the case of German spree killer Ernst August Wagner.

In 1913, he stabbed to death his wife and four children in Degerloch,
near Stuttgart, then drove to Mühlhausen an der Enz where he opened
fire on 20 people, killing at least nine, leaving two animals dead and
several buildings burned to the ground.

In 1927, South African farmer Stephanus Swart shot dead at least 8
people and injured 3 others in Charlestown, South Africa, before
committing suicide.

In 1938 almost half of the population of the rural village of Kaio,
near Tsuyama city in Japan, was murdered as 21-year-old Mutsuo Toi
killed 30 people with a shotgun, sword and axe, injured three others
and then shot himself to death.

Between 1954 and 1957, William Unek murdered a total of 57 people in two separate spree killings in the Belgian Congo.

He first killed 21 people with an axe, then shot dead ten men, eight
women and eight children, slaughtered six more men with the axe, burned
two women and a child, and strangled a 15-year-old girl.

More recently in the bloody timeline of shooting sprees, some of the
most dramatic incidents include the 1987 Hungerford massacre in England,
where gun enthusiast Michael Ryan shot 16 people dead and wounded
another 15 before committing suicide, the 1996 Port Arthur massacre
in Australia, where 28 year old Martin Bryant killed 35 people and
wounded 21 before being caught by police, and the 1996 school shooting
in the Scottish town of Dunblane.

There, failed shopkeeper Thomas Hamilton opened fire at a primary
school, killing 16 children and a teacher before turning his gun on his
mouth.

"I could have been one of those children," tennis player Andy Murray wrote in his autobiography, "Hitting Back."

Britain's highest ranked player, Murray was eight when Hamilton burst into the school and began shooting.
He and his 10-year-old brother Jamie escaped the fire by hiding under a desk.

In the United States, two mass murder waves characterized the 20th
century. One appeared in the 1920s and 30s and another in the mid-1960s,
following a tranquil period in the 1940s and 50s.

The two waves, however, were qualitatively different, according to Duwe.

The author of "Mass Murder in the United States: A History," Duwe
researched 909 cases of mass killing that occurred in the United States
between 1900 and 1999.

"The first mass murder wave in the 1920s and 30s was comprised mainly
of familicides and felony-related massacres, which, then as now, are
less likely to garner extensive media coverage," Duwe said.

On the contrary, the second mass murder wave from the mid-1960s through
the mid-1990s consisted of a greater number of mass public shootings,
similar to the recent Aurora movie theater shooting and Newtown school
shooting.

These incidents "have always captured a great deal of interest and concern," Duwe said.

Marked by the 1966 Texas Tower shootings where student Charles
Whitman climbed a 27-story tower on the University of Texas campus
shooting dead 14 people and wounding 31 others, the mid-1960s do not
actually represent the beginning of an unprecedented mass murder wave in
the United States.

"Since 1900, the highest mass murder rate was in 1929. Mass public
shootings are one of several types of mass murder and generally account
for roughly 10-15 percent of all mass killings in the U.S.," Duwe said.

According to the criminologists, the 1990s had the highest number of
mass public shootings with a little more than 40 -- an average of a
little more than 4 each year.

The number of mass public shootings dropped below 30 in the years between 2000 and 2009.

"This year, however, the U.S. has had at least seven mass public shootings, which is the highest number since 1999," Duwe said.

Yes these creeps are all cowards. US politicians lack the gonads to - for one - prioritize mental health care over 8 lane highways and military missions. For two - take a stand on a stupid 2nd amendment made up in muzzle loader days. Instead of stomping off to the next middle east confrontation they should use their army to gather up some of the high powered weapons.

The article never answers its own question: Why did Lanza target a school? There is a common denominator between all of the recent shootings: all were gun free zones. Shooters are cowards, they select places where there will be little resistance and they can dominate for a while. What happens when they are confronted with force? They surrender or commit suicide because they are cowards. You will never get the truth from the main stream media, so get it here: ninetymilesfromtyranny.blogspot.com When a coward sees a gun free zone sign, they see opportunity.

Individual behaviours are bi-products of social, economic, and political impositions. Too much obsession for example on culture or its patriotic nature also makes headway, in the case of Nederland; and depression is a side effect. Lashing out at society is a selfish individiual resolution. That makes a strong case against secular materialism society.

Education, education, education. Give a check to our educational system and we will see that there are great deficiencies in it, at school and more specifically at home.Where are the parents that decided to bring a child to this world? Where is their responsibility in teaching their offspring wrong from right? Where is their care, affection, commitment to lead them towards the good ways? Materialism, selfishness, and the focus on the superficial future and not the living present blind the parents of individuals such as these. Their need for belonging and affection is absent, therefore their actions are an expression of their frustration, anger, and hate towards a society that has given its back to them.

The Lanza family seems to have been poisoned from the effects of religion... When can we start to questions the right to believe in absurd crap instead of it being declared that we must 'respect all beliefs' ... You have Christian Scientists (no science involved) who will not treat their kids from a Doctor because they believe only prayer help(kids with cancer even)... The Amish pull their kids form school early and DONT CARE what the kid's wishes are....

Faith is NOT an excuse and To Abuse your children is to indoctrinate them in your faith before they are only enoufgh to make their own choices... the indoctrination of one's own children is sick.

Religion corrupted the morality of this family as it corrupts all morals... Morality is something we have mostly build within us that our parents guide... studies show morality exists the same regardless or lack of religion... Morality is everywhere that religion ISN'T.

It is time we begin to tell folks that faith is not a virtue... It is cowardice to investigate real evidence and science.

This horrible situation brings out every person pushing their own view of the problem. I have heard gun control people say this needs to be done and although I would be for more restrictions many of the ones they are talking about have nothing to do with this situation they are just using it to push their own agenda. Now the last little bit we have the mental ill faction(Like the author who is a psychology professor) who although at this time the only thing the perpetrator is accused of having is an Autistic Spectrum disorder. Which the author more than likely could tell you is not linked in the least to violence. Then the description of school shootings sounds more than a little misleading too. At this time we have no idea WHY and already crazy violent video games is appearing on TV(well every teenager I know could be guilty then) like heavy metal music back in the 80's. Most school shootings are done by fellow students which would put the wide range of them into the catagory like the term (going Postal) where people have had problems with co-workers. I hope the government can do something to lessen the results or the cause. I just have a problem with jumps in logic that this would have helped when there is no evidence (At this time) that it has anything to do with the problem.

I just want to know if the reporters , anchors and crews covering this tragic event feel like vultures feeding on death ? they ask the dumbest questions to these grief stricken people, get out of their face, let them grieve.

Report the news but please stop being dumb about it. show some dignity and taste. get out of these peoples faces ,stop putting any fool on camera for their 2 cents. Just report the facts not opinions.

It's a strange world we live in. Where a bank teller is more protected from a bullet then a teacher and our children are. We demanded that banks step up security to protect our money than we ever stepped up security at our schools. Perhaps if the front door at Sandy Hook Elementary was bullet proof glass this may have all been prevented. Don't get me wrong if it were up to me guns would only in the hands of people who need them for productive purposes but since we don't live in that type of world all we can really focus on is how to minimize this. I believe we have enough technology that we already use in our lives to construct a way to eliminate the use of firearms in areas. A guns firing pin does not have to be operated mechanically or by the gas of a bullet. Digital guns is the answer. Guns that cannot be operated by civilians in urban areas by the use of GPS satellites. We have so much technology wrapped up in cell phones and tracking devices that if engineered into firearms we can control where firearms can be used. This is what the NRA should contribute.

Very simple to answer the question. The shooter knows no one has a weapon there. Fish in a barrel. The only folks who obey a law are the lawabiding people. Not crooks. One day it will be figured out by all. Assult Rifles should not exist on the open market. Clips should be limited to 10 rounds. Teachers should be allowed to be armed after proper training. Anyone with a CCW should be allowed on any school campus. Teh problem is not the law abiding citizenary. It is the flks who do not obey the law.

We need to make our people feel safe again. There are too many high capacity magazines and assault weapons already in the hands of criminals to make a difference if we ban NEW products. Plenty of drug dealers ignore "drug free zones", plenty of people speed where speed limits are clearly stated, plenty of people take food into "no food or drink: areas... Educating/ training people how to respond to events when/if they take place is the only way to combat these terrible occurrences.

FWIW: I'll gladly give up my guns if not one exists elsewhere, my car can be limited to the speed limit if no other car can exceed it, and i'll leave my cell phone at home if no one else has it in the movie theater either.

Thank you for your comment. I agree 100%. There are too many borderline kids that are not sick enough to be considered mentally ill, and when their behavior becomes a problem, the schools expel them or the police jail them. What a compassionate society we are!

Christopher Ferguson is clueless. I see now what's wrong with the education system in this country. The fact that a professor wrote this misleading piece is all you need to know. One very important point that he omitted, NONE of the children in China died, thats right, NONE. Like all fools he wants to look at what happens in other countries rather than present a solution for his own country. Fact - no other countries have shootings like this. So comparing a knife incidient in China when no lives were lost is moot. Face it, Americans hate each other. They only pretend to be united when an attack comes from the outside. Until we hear from a medical professional who treated Lanza, he was sane. Did he even get medical treatment. His mother spend so much time worring about the government coming and buying guns, she probably forgot to get him help. Interesting that drug dealers respect "drug free zones" yet, the big bravados with their legally held weapons can't respect a "gun free zone", they are admiting here themselves. Remind me again who is the problem.

VIOLENT videos & VIOLENT movies, Violent sports MANY. A society that is about "I WANT" a society that has a LOT of Govt FREE STUFF . A massive drug problem. A VILE & disgusting Pharmaceutical Drug Proble. A No Heal No Cure medical system that has created the Sickest Country in the world !! America is a matue socity that is a mess. Unions, ACLU, Attorneys/Politicians Bid Corporations = profit at any cost. Military weapons are foolish. in the hands of civilians.

Chris Ferguson has no idea what he is talking about. He got on Nightline last night and said violent video games are a "red herring" and don't have any negative effects. His "studies" are very narrow and limited. He ignores hundreds of studies that suggest a connection between violent media and aggressive behavior in teens. He lacks credibility and I'm not sure why the media like him--maybe because he paints the media as not the one to blame for any negative behavior????

Banning guns does not end the problem. We see evidence of this around the globe. Sure, it may decrease the frequency of this tragic events, but it will not end them. So, it that okay - that we do just enough to lower the frequency? Is it okay that this happens again? Isn't one time to many for this sort of thing? This is why more has to be done. Banning is not the answer, obviously. I would be more for strict regulations and stricter punishments for criminals that use guns. No parole if you use a gun in a crime, and life in prison if you fire a gun in a crime. We also need to seriously address the mental health issue. This is the root of the problem and only by seriously addressing the root of the problem can we end this, for good.